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contagious disease

contagium

container

(kŏn-tā′nĕr) A receptacle for storing a medical specimen or supplies. Use of sterile disposable containers for collecting specimens is recommended, since contamination of the container may alter the results of the specimen analysis and therefore interfere with the diagnosis. SEE: Standard Precautions Appendix.

containment

(kŏn-tān′mĕnt) 1. In public health, the control or eradication of infectious diseases. 2. In environmental health, the prevention of spread of toxic substances into the environment. 3. In health care delivery, the management, control, and restriction of excessive spending. SYN: cost containment.

contaminant

contaminate

(kŏn-tăm′ĭ-nāt) [L. contaminare, to render impure] 1. To soil, stain, or pollute. 2. To render unfit for use through introduction of a harmful or injurious substance. 3. To make impure or unclean. 4. To deposit a radioactive substance in any place where it is not supposed to be.

contaminated

Pert. to wounds created when an outside object comes in contact with the wound. According to the American College of Surgeons, it is the third of four classes of surgical wound types. This class includes wounds caused by a bullet, knife blade, or other pointed object. The contamination may also be caused by spillage from the gastrointestinal tract into the wound. Any very inflamed or infected tissue around a surgical wound is also considered to be contaminated. SEE: clean; clean-contaminated; dirty-infected.

contamination

(kŏn-tăm″ĭ-nā′shŭn) 1. The act of contaminating, esp. the introduction of pathogens or infectious material into or on normally clean or sterile objects, spaces, or surfaces. 2. In psychiatry, the fusion and condensation of words so that they run together when spoken.

contamination, risk for

context of care

Those elements of an individual's life or living situation that have psychological, social, and/or economic relevance to his or her use of professional health services. The context of a person's care may include such elements as that person's attitudes toward illness; belief systems, e.g., ethnic, racial, or religious; cognitive abilities; emotional states; family life; finances; and previous experiences with health care agencies, among others.